On the lake
Posted: October 4, 2016 Filed under: On the lake | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks 12 Comments
All this week and next Penny Black is sharing sneak peeks of the new ‘Festive Wishes’ release. As usual there are beautiful stamps and dies, some which don’t need to be reserved only for Christmas. The stamp featured above, On the Lake, can be used all year round.
To create this sunset scene I stamped in versafine onyx black ink on neenah solar white cardstock. I used a misti so I could stamp several times to get a solid black image. Once the ink was totally dry I sponged blue at the top, orange then yellow above the trees. I then sponged some yellow and orange over the water and blue from the edge of the water to the bottom of the panel. It has been a while since I sponged a scene; some of you might remember I used to do it all the time!
There are more teasers on the Penny Black blog and a chance to win some product from the new release.
There is also a new One Layer Simplicity Challenge hosted by the artistic Karen Dunbrook.
Supplies
Stamps: On the lake (PB)
Ink: Versafine onyx black ink, Memento Dandelion, Tangelo and Danube blue ink(Tsukineko)
Paper: Neenah solar white paper, Neenah epic black cardstock, orange cardstock
Skyward
Posted: October 3, 2016 Filed under: Brusho, Skyward | Tags: Brusho, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps 8 Comments
You know how much I like tree stamps, so you can imagine how delighted I was to see this delicate branch silhouette appropriately called ‘Skyward’. I created a thank you card I’ll be linking to Susan Raihala’s Gratitude Campaign
I chose to keep my design simple by adding colour with brusho. I sprinkled gamboge, lemon and dark brown brusho on a piece of watercolour paper, spritzed with water then dried it immediately with a heat tool. By limiting the amount of water and drying it quickly I was able to halt the blending of the colours. The resulting bursts of colour do a good impression of fall foliage, I think. I wanted the branches to almost fill the sky so I stamped twice overlapping some of the branches.
For the second card I used the same technique but went for a summer look. It is not clear whether my colour is sky or foliage so I am happy for it to be both.
You would think I had used blue brusho but I sprinkled leaf green, sea green and lemon. I love the way brusho is never one single colour but a mix of different coloured powders; it’s different every time.
Supplies
Stamps: Skyward, Snippets, Heartfelt (PB)
Ink: Versafine onyx black ink (Tsukineko)
Paper: hot pressed watercolour paper, orange cardstock, teal cardstock
Paint: gamboge, lemon, dark brown, sea green, leaf green brusho powder
Northern winter sky
Posted: September 30, 2016 Filed under: Brusho, Nature's Gifts, Stamped Landscapes, Woodland Beauty | Tags: Brusho, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps 17 Comments
Some times watercolour paint does the work for you. I added a few stamped branches to turn this pretty sky into a scene but really, the blended colours were almost enough by themselves.
I did have a basic plan but the blending was magic that happened when I walked away. I positioned a frisket film mask in the top right then sprinkled four colours of brusho on the panel of watercolour paper. Using a wet brush I blended the colours creating a hard edge at the bottom and adding water to the upper part of the panel. Once I had wet the whole upper area I tilted the panel so the colour blended from yellow to pink to purple and blue. At this point I had to go and teach a mini class so I was gone for an hour.
When I returned my panel was dry and all blended in the pretty pattern you see above – magic! I added the berry branches here and there, an extra shadow for a snow bank and a sentiment.
Supplies
Stamps: Woodland Beauty, Nature’s Gifts, Festive Cheer (PB)
Ink: Versafine onyx black ink (Tsukineko)
Paper: hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah epic black paper
Paint: Violet, ultramarine, crimson, yellow brusho powder
Wintry Trail
Posted: September 29, 2016 Filed under: Wintry Trail | Tags: Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 14 Comments
The new ‘Wintry Trail’ stamp from Penny Black is one that you can add a lot of colour step by step or a little colour behind black silhouette stamping. I chose the silhouette style for this winter scene. I painted a deep blue sky and a paler snowy or icy ground. As I painted I intended the ‘ground’ to be covered in snow but as I look at the photos I think it looks a little like the ice of a frozen pond reflecting the colour of the sky.
I have seen skies as blue as this one while ski-ing in the Gatineau hills. The contrast of snow and trees is dramatic and beautiful. To make my version I stamped the scenic stamp on hot pressed watercolour paper in versafine onyx black ink. I painted the sky first in turquoise and cobalt blue brusho and let that dry. I used a more diluted turquoise and diluted black brusho to paint the ‘ice’ and shadows. You can see there are little dots of white over the panel which means I started by flicking masking fluid over the panel.
The tiny tag is from the Gift Card Pocket die set and was just the right size for one wee word!
Thank you so much for all the lovely comments about this week’s winter watercolours. I’m glad you enjoyed them and would love to hear if you tried any of the same techniques.
Supplies
Stamps: Wintry Trail, Holiday Snippets (PB)
Dies: Gift Card Pocket
Ink: Versafine onyx black ink, blue lagoon ink (Tsukineko)
Paper: hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah epic black paper
Paint: Turquoise, Cobalt Blue, Black brusho powder
Also: Daler Rowney masking fluid, Silver cord
Twinkling twigs
Posted: September 28, 2016 Filed under: Into the sky | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 14 Comments
When I saw this ‘Into the Sky‘ stamp, I immediately thought of an inspiration pic I had found a while back. It just so happens that my first use of this stamp does not have the twigs reaching into the sky but quite the opposite.
I pulled out one of my panels splattered with masking fluid then stamped the twig stamp multiple times in weathered wood and stormy sky stains. To turn the stamped images into soft background I painted water over the stamping which softened both the twig image and the colour. Next I painted worn lipstick, weathered wood and stormy sky stain over the whole panel keeping bottom left corner light and graduating to darker colour in the opposite corner. Once that dried I stamped ‘into the sky’ again in Versafine onyx black and smokey gray inks so I would have some sharp foreground images over the blurred background twigs. I knew I would have some bright white dots when I removed the masking fluid but I wanted some light dots on the tips of the twigs also to look like water drops. To create those dots I used a paintbrush to add little drops of water at the end of twigs; I let the water sit and absorb some stain colour for a minute then dabbed with a paper towel.
I finished it off with some splatters of platinum liquid metal to add sparkle here and there. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted a sentiment or not but I looked through a stack of options and decided the tiny miracles phrase worked, both the words and the shape of the stamp.
Supplies
Stamps: Into the sky, Season’s Gifts(PB)
Paints: Platinum liquid metal (Ken Oliver)
Ink: Versafine onyx black and smokey gray ink(Tsukineko), worn lipstick, weathered wood, stormy sky distress stains (Ranger)
Paper: hot pressed Fabriano watercolour paper, Neenah Epic black cardstock
Berry Kissed
Posted: September 27, 2016 Filed under: Berry kissed | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Ranger Distress stains 11 Comments
This pretty new berry stamp doesn’t have to be saved for winter cards; I’ve already used it in fall colours and could see it popping up in a spring bouquet also. Even today’s card, which I will use at Christmas time, is not in traditional red and green.
I began with a watercolour panel splattered with masking fluid. If you are wondering how I splatter masking fluid I have a video on my youtube channel showing my method. I taped the panel to a firm surface and painted water over the whole area. I inked the stamp with milled lavender and bundled sage distress stains then stamped onto the wet paper. The colours immediately diluted and once dry I was left with pale shadowy background images. I inked the stamp again, this time with ground espresso, seedless preserves and forest moss distress markers. I stamped over the shadowy background then painted extra forest moss distress stain onto the leaves to create dimension. Once the ink dried I removed the masking fluid, added a partial sentiment in brown and a dark green mat.
Supplies:
Stamps: Berry kissed, Festive Cheer (PB)
Inks: Versafine Vintage Sepia ink (Tsukineko) milled lavender, bundled sage, forest moss distress stains, seedless preserves, forest moss, ground espresso distress markers (Ranger)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, olive green cardstock
Also: masking fluid
Lamplit
Posted: September 26, 2016 Filed under: Cones & berries, Woodland Beauty | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains 10 Comments
Today I have a ‘vintagy’ lamp-post card to share. ‘Vintagy’ because it is a different to my recent ‘vintage watercolour’ cards; it has more colour. My vintage style cards are often brown + black + one more colour but this one still looks a little old despite its red, blue, green and yellow inks.
I worked on a hot pressed watercolour paper panel with some masking fluid splattered over it. I stamped the lamp post in black and brown distress inks then blended the colours with a paintbrush on the paper. Before stamping I wiped the ink off the candle inside the lamp so I could use lighter ink later to paint it later. To create the swag decorating lamp I stamped the end of a branch from the woodland beauty set in gathered twigs distress ink. I drew red berries with a barn door distress marker and painted little pine needles in, yes, ‘pine needles’ distress stain then drew the candle in smokey gray and spiced marmalade distress markers.
To give the sky some depth I used three blue stains to paint around the lamp, leaving a small snowy hill white at the bottom of the panel. I blended some of the orange from the candle flame with water to fill the lamp and surrounding area. The edges are sponged in ‘vintage photo; and the sentiment stamped in vintage sepia all in keeping with my goal of a vintagy card!
It’s winter watercolours on the blog each day this week so I’ll see you tomorrow with some berries.
Supplies:
Stamps: Cones & Berries, Woodland Beauty, Yuletide wishes (PB)
Inks: Versafine Vintage sepia ink (Tsukineko) tumbled glass, broken china, salty ocean, pine needles distress stains, barn door, spiced marmalade distress markers, vintage photo, black soot distress inks (Ranger)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper
Also: masking fluid
Vintage poinsettia
Posted: September 22, 2016 Filed under: gift card pocket, Scarlet Majesty | Tags: Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Tsukineko Versafine inks 8 Comments
Today’s card is a contrast to the sparkly bright poinsettias earlier in the week. I returned to a style I have featured on the blog several times this year, a vintage appearance. To achieve the aged look I stamp first in vintage photo distress ink then blend the stamped ink with watercolour pencils. I worked one petal at a time and used a wet paintbrush to pick up colour from the pencils. I chose a couple of reds, and a light green for the petals and a dark brown for the berries. Once the whole image was painted I coloured around the edge with a grey pencil to help ‘lift’ it off the page a little.
I matted the panel with textured burgandy cardstock and added a sentiment on one of the handy tags from the gift card pocket die (a set that gives you way more than just a gift card pocket; its full of tabs, tags, flowers, scalloped shapes…).
As I finished editing this post it occurred to me that the vintage look on my poinsettia does give it a bit of a ‘dried up ‘cos I didn’t get watered look’. Now, how would I know that look I wonder?
Supplies:
Stamps: Scarlet Majesty, Holiday Snippets (PB)
Dies: Gift Card Pocket
Inks: Versafine Crimson Red ink (Tsukineko) vintage photo distress ink(Ranger)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Burgandy textured cardstock
Also: Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils, Gold cord
Golden Poinsettias
Posted: September 20, 2016 Filed under: Red Star, Winter Joy | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, WOW embossing powders 15 Comments
As the title of this post suggests I embossed the poinsettia stamp from the ‘Winter Joy’ transparent set in gold. I also added gold wink of stella to the centres of some of the poinsettias. The colour painted in and around the poinsettias is distress stain. I kept the look loose and fluid by painting wet into wet.
On the card below I began by inking the ‘red star’ stamp in red and green stain then stamping it onto the wet panel. Some of the colour ended up in the poinsettias, some outside. I used a paintbrush to paint the same stains into the petals to make the colour more intense.
I’m not sure that the camera picked up the gold and shiny factor as much as it could have; it’s pretty in real life.
Supplies:
Stamps: Winter Joy, Holiday Snippets, Red Star, (PB)
Inks: Versamark, Versafine Olympia Green & Satin Red (Tsukineko) pined needles, crushed olive, festive berries, barn door distress stainsRanger)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, green cardstock, red cardstock
Also: WOW metallic gold rich embossing powder, gold wink of stella brush marker
Butterflies in blue
Posted: September 14, 2016 Filed under: Butterfly trio | Tags: Finetec artist mica watercolour paint, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks 8 Comments
I am a guest once more of the lovely crew over at the Foiled Fox Blog. Check out their blog for details on this butterfly card and while you’re there take a look at the pretty cards from the Foiled Fox girls.
Heather Telford 